The Indian Institutes of Technology are a network of educational and technological institutions in India which were established in 1950 by the Indian Government. The main purpose for their establishment was to enhance university education in India which would, in future, contribute to the development of India. IITs organize an extremely tough entrance examination, the Indian Institute of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE) for admission to their undergraduate courses. For postgraduate courses, GATE examination is conducted. About 12.58 Lakh students appeared for JEE Main 2025, which gives us a clear indication of reputation of the IITs. In this post, we are going to talk about IITs, the IIT-JEE exam, and analyze their pros and cons. We will discuss about the reasons students go for IITs, why the exam is so tough, what happens after attending an IIT and what is the reservation quota in IITs.
IIT-JEE: The entrance
The IIT-JEE exam is conducted in two parts - JEE Main and JEE Advanced. JEE Advanced is considered
the
second toughest entrance examination in the world. Why so? The answer lies within the motive behind
the
establishment of IITs themselves. IITs attract the best brains of the nation. To filter out such
talented and hard working people, IITs conduct such a tough exam. The result of this filtering can
be
seen in the college students and therefore IITs are known for their innovative, intelligent and
smart
peer groups and networks. Only those who have done hard work and shown consistency are able to get
into
these reputed institutes. Top reasons why students want to enter IITs:
IITs: The Outcome
We have discussed about IITs, the exam and the reservation. But what about the real question? Are
IITs
worth it? Have IITs achieved their actual motive? Let us make this clear in this section. IITs have
top
professors who are involved in educational research and a significant number of students apply for
PhD.
The average student professor ratio in IITs as per The Economic Times is 1:10. Anyway, one of the
main
aims of IITs is to work for the development of India. IITs purpose was to gather great minds who
would
contribute to Indian market and development. Brain Drain is a major happening going on in the
IITs. Brain Drain is considered migrating abroad of Indian minds who contribute to other nations'
economy. About 1/3rd IITians migrated abroad in 2010 as per National Bureau of Economic
Research.
Though there is not much data available now about IITians migrating abroad, but as per the director
of
IIT Guwahati, less than 15% IITians migrated in 2021 (From Times of India). He also said that
Brain Drain is just a myth now. Yet, brain drain remains an issue amongst the IITs. If most IITians
stay
back, India will likely experience a tremendous advancement in technology and research.
IITs,
though associated with brain drain, have contributed a lot to India. IITians have made big
businesses
like Zomato, Ola, Flipkart, PolicyBazaar, Razorpay, etc. which have significantly contributed to
Indian
Economy. IITs have established a global presence of India worldwide. Global ranks of IIT Bombay,
IIT
Delhi and IIT Kharagpur are 118, 150 and 222 as per QS World University Rankings
2025.
Hence, IITs become Institutes of National Importance for India. (declared by
Parliament)
Should you go for IITs?
Then the final question comes. Should you aim for IITs or not? Though it
is strictly a personal choice, I'll tell you the top reasons why should you prepare for IITs. If
you're a
school student and have taken/plan to take Physics and Mathematics as your stream (along with
Chemistry/Biotechnology/Biology/Vocational Subject), then you can aim for IIT-JEE. Many students
think that
IIT is everything and if they won't get selected, their life is nothing. Thinking that IIT is
everything can
be considered logical if you come from an economically weak background. But if you're from an
economically
stable background, DO NOT go for JEE if you don't have a proper reason to. Yes, IITs are a great
stepping
stone for your future, but they are only colleges. Yes, they have good infrastructure, great peer
network,
great faculty and curricula, but don't forget the fundamental aim of IITs and the fundamental aim of
YOU.
Don't go for IITs if your friends are going or if your parents are unnecessarily forcing you. Go for
IITs
only for 5 reasons:
- You don't have any other choice except engineering - You come from EWS section of the society and believe that you can qualify the exam. It will atleast secure your future. Then you can find your purpose in life there.
- You want to research - You are genuinely interested in technological research and want world-class research facility
- You have a passion for engineering - If you're legitimately passionate about engineering, definitely go for IITs.
- Great Stepping Stone - You are interested in entrepreneurship and find IITs as a great stepping stone. It is never wrong to train your brain for the future.
- Exploration - You don't know what to do in your life. You can get into IITs for exploration purposes. JEE is a great way to let you push yourself out of your comfort zone. You can find your goal later in there while not worrying about your financial future. Maybe engineering becomes your passion!
You can have one or more than one reason to go for IITs. Your reason might be different from these - but as Elon Musk says - "If something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour". IIT is a great dream, just remember a few things - 1) IIT is not the end of your life, it is just a stepping stone. 2) Try not to be a part of the brain drain. It is a personal choice. You are free to move abroad if you get a better opportunity. This was just my opinion. If you feel that you can serve your country, please stay back and contribute. 3) Do not go for IITs under peer influence. You are unique and different. You can achieve the unachievable if you do what you think is right, not what your society thinks is.